On: The Microsoft Surface Book Review

[red_admiral]

"Since this is a device from Microsoft, you get zero bloatware installed."

A very strong selling point for the Surface family, in my opinion.

[mark_l_watson → red_admiral]

Pro tip: you should always buy Windows laptops, etc. directly from the Microsoft store. Their signature branding for many other manufacturers's products means that they sell for about the same price, but with no crapware.

[fisherjeff → mark_l_watson]

Amen. I bought four of the new Dell XPS 13s for work. The three from the MS Store are fantastic; the one from Dell took several hours just to make it useable.

[bkjelden → mark_l_watson]

I feel like there should be a case study in every MBA program in the country using Microsoft as an example of what happens when you let a partner control the 'last mile' of your user experience - and consequently, your brand.

For years the Windows experience was completely ruined by hardware manufacturers pre-loading laptops with a ton of very poorly developed software. It's a night and day difference.

[kevin_morrill → bkjelden]

They did not willfully let their partners control the last mile. They demanded this right in their original OEM agreements, and used it to define the out of box experience for Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. Circa 1999, the Department of Justice took it away from them as a result of an antitrust litigation settlement.

[atomicUpdate → bkjelden]

There's also Android and what the cell carriers are doing it with regards to bloatware and security updates to use as another source of material.

[bkjelden → atomicUpdate]

good point - they are facing a similar problem.

in some ways, android has it worse, because they have to deal with hardware vendors and carriers

[wvenable → bkjelden]

Then there is something like this too: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8546702

[AdmiralAsshat → mark_l_watson]

Unless of course Windows' update completely bricks your laptop.

I bought a family member an Asus laptop from the Windows Store that was running 8.1, and the Windows 10 update has destroyed it. Asus refuses to look at it, calling it a "software issue". So now I'm in the process of trying to get Microsoft to look at it, and waiting to see whether they will take responsibility or shove it off to someone else.

[Athtar → AdmiralAsshat]

Take it to one of their retail stores, if you/they live close to one. They should be able to help.

[AlexeyBrin → mark_l_watson]

Good tip, except for when you want to be able to customize your laptop. You can't customize say a Dell laptop in Microsoft Store.

[cooperadymas → red_admiral]

Oh man, tell me about it. My SO just bought a new Lenovo laptop. We spent the entire first evening with it running Windows updates. And the entire second evening removing all the garbage that comes installed with it. Finally it's day 3 and ready to be used.

[rasz_pl → cooperadymas]

dont worry, Lenovo uses bios hooks to reinstall said garbage

[rdudek → rasz_pl]

[citation needed]

Or are you just talking about doing a factory restore on system which brings back everything to it's original state?

[vetinari → rdudek]

No, but theoretically, the way they did it, they could install whatever they wanted.

Source: http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/08/lenovo...

[cm2187 → red_admiral]

I must say that iOS 9 feels a bit like that. There is a constant nagging for using apple services. And every update to the iOS resets everything. iOS will want me to use icloud, I refuse, are you sure you really don't want to use icloud, yes I just told you! But you certainly want to use apple pay. No. Really? Yes. But let's set up apple music. Don't want that either. Are you sure, etc etc.

In fact the music player regularly redirects to the apple music tab while I just want to listen to my own playlist.

It feels really really cheap.